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Doriath. Then the heart of Thingol was lightened, but he looked not with love upon Beren in whom he
saw the cause of all his woes. When he had learned how Beren had escaped from Thû he was
amazed, but he said: ‘Mortal, what of thy quest and of thy vow?’ Then said Beren: ‘Even now I have
a Silmaril in my hand.’ ‘Show it to me,’ said Thingol. ‘That I cannot,’ said Beren, ‘for my hand is not
here.’ And all the tale he told, and made clear the cause of the madness of Carcharas, and Thingol’s
heart was softened by his brave words, and his forbearance, and the great love that he saw between
his daughter and this most valiant Man.
Now therefore did they plan the wolf-hunt of Carcharas. In that hunt was Huan and Thingol and
Mablung and Beleg and Beren and no more. And here the sad tale of it must be short, for it is
elsewhere told more fully. Lúthien remained behind in foreboding, as they went forth; and well she
might, for Carcharas was slain, but Huan died in the same hour, and he died to save Beren. Yet Beren
was hurt to the death, but lived to place the Silmaril in the hands of Thingol, when Mablung had cut it
from the belly of the wolf. Then he spoke not again, until they had borne him with Huan at his side
back to the doors of Thingol’s halls. There beneath the beech, wherein before she had been
imprisoned, Lúthien met them, and kissed Beren ere his spirit departed to the halls of awaiting. So
ended the long tale of Lúthien and Beren. But not yet was The Lay of Leithian, release from bondage,
told in full. For it has long been said that Lúthien failed and faded swiftly and vanished from the
earth, though some songs say that Melian summoned Thorondor, and he bore her living unto Valinor.
And she came to the halls of Mandos, and she sang to him a tale of moving love so fair that he was
moved to pity, as never has befallen since. Beren he summoned, and thus, as Lúthien had sworn as she
kissed him at the hour of death, they met beyond the western sea. And Mandos suffered them to
depart, but he said that Lúthien should become mortal even as her lover, and should leave the earth
once more in the manner of mortal women, and her beauty become but a memory of song. So it was,
but it is said that in recompense Mandos gave to Beren and to Lúthien thereafter a long span of life
and joy, and they wandered knowing thirst nor cold in the fair land of Beleriand, and no mortal Man
thereafter spoke to Beren or his spouse.